Going green for St. Patrick's Day

Hi world,

Earlier today we posted a little quip on assorted social media:

“Want to go green for St. Patrick's Day? Reduce, reuse, recycle, compost, conserve.”

It's easy to say and do, but we thought we would expand and give you some more definite information. The US Environmental Protection Agency has a whole site dedicated to it here: http://www2.epa.gov/recycle, as does the San Juan Islands Conservation District: http://sanjuanislandscd.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/composting.pdf.

But in case you don't feel like clicking the links, here's the upshot:

Reduce, reuse, recycle is laid out in order of importance. Those “three Rs” are always said in that order for that reason. (Well, unless you also now have the Jack Johnson song stuck in your head. If not: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSM2riAEX4U)

Reduce:

As in buy less. Do you need the kitchen gadget that you'll use once and will sit in a drawer for a year before you contemplate it again? Do you need to get whatever you're purchasing individually wrapped or will bulk do?

Reuse:

This one's easy. All those canvas bags in the trunk of your car? They not only are good for the environment but good for your hands. Grocery store bags, paper or plastic, both have drawbacks that the reusable bags do not. Something cold creating condensation will go through a paper bag. Something heavy will turn a plastic bag into a torture device.

Recycle:

From PET bottles to car batteries, we can recycle almost everything now, generally for free and close by, if not at home.

Compost:

Ok, ok, this is something we're less acquainted with, so allow us to quell your fears. It is not having a nasty, smelly bucket of rotting after-dinner under your sink, festering. Or in your backyard. It is recycling, just with food. Everything herbaceous (planty) you would normally throw away you just put in a different bin. Onion bits, teabags and coffee grounds, breads and pastas – anything that originated with a plant, even paper can be composted. The only exception (as far as we know) to this rule is eggshells. If you have land, compost is wonderful fertiliser. If you do not, most towns have somewhere you can take your compost, from municipal yards to community gardens. Some will even pick it up along with your garbage and recycling.

Conserve:

Again, we've been hearing this one for a while. Turn off your water while you're brushing your teeth. Turn your car off instead of idling. We know these and it is just a matter of making them a habit – making all of these a habit.

These are only our suggestions and we don't want to tell you how to live your life, but it is like everything we do: one person makes very little difference, but many can effect real change.

-SWW

Also, if you want to wear green for St. Patrick's Day, we recommend green undies. You'll feel naughty all day.